


Extraordinary

by travelingpsycho



Category: Arashi (Band), Japanese Actor RPF, Johnny's Entertainment, Kanjani8 (Band), NewS (Band), Tackey & Tsubasa
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Gen, Gen Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-28
Updated: 2012-01-28
Packaged: 2017-10-30 06:34:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/328834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/travelingpsycho/pseuds/travelingpsycho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ryo becomes a ninja, he has no idea what he's getting into.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Extraordinary

He’s twelve when they come for him. “You were born for this,” they say. “Will you fulfill your birthright?”

He’s sure they must be joking. He’s not big and he’s not strong. He’s no one special.

“We need you,” they say. “Please.” They bow before him like he’s some great man, on their knees in front of a little boy. He still doesn’t understand, but it’s hard to say no to that kind of attention. Besides, there’s something tempting about the prospect of being special for the first time in his life.

“Yes,” he says. “All right. I’ll do it.”

They thank him, so profusely it’s almost embarrassing, but at the same time he’s pleased.

He has no idea what he’s getting into.

 

The training starts right away, and it’s hard. He’s an active boy, but normal running around and playing is nothing like this. They expect him to defy gravity, push past the limits of endurance, do things that shouldn’t be humanly possible. He collapses at the end of each day, too worn out to move, cut and bruised and sore all over. He’s sure he won’t be able to do it, that they’ll decide he’s not good enough after all and send him away.

But somehow it gets easier, bit by bit. His reflexes are faster, he realizes, his stamina better. He’s still exhausted, but it’s longer each day before he has to give up. The cuts begin to heal and the bruises begin to fade and new ones don’t take their place. His body feels different: lighter, stronger. It’s a strange feeling, almost like he’s a different person, but he likes it. He begins to believe that maybe he really is special.

 

He doesn’t find out until he’s officially done with basic training that there are others there. He’s disappointed to find that he’s not all that special after all, or at least not unique, but he’s been lonely on his own, so it’s nice to have company.

There’s a boy around his age who introduces himself as Toma and takes it upon himself to educate Ryo. “Some of the others have been here for a few years already,” he explains. “They’re really amazing. But some of us haven’t been here very long. You might even be better than us.” He grins, and Ryo has to smile back.

When he meets the others, he realizes Toma was just humoring him. He's come a long way from the green boy he used to be, but there's so much he doesn't know. There are boys who can run circles around him, or control fire or shake the earth. Maybe he has that kind of power in him, but he's a long way from tapping it.

Part of him is angry at feeling small and weak, but mostly he's determined. His training isn't over yet, and if he has it in him to learn what those other boys can do, he'll do it. It's part stubbornness and part arrogance and part jealousy, but all that matters is that he will do it.

 

Their leader is called Takki, and he's only a few years older than Ryo, but he's been at this for a long time. He can make waves in the ground that throw Ryo to his knees and take down five of the new trainees without pulling a weapon and command people in a voice that draws attention whether it's loud or quiet. He's not really in charge—there are adults who give him his orders—but Takki is who they listen to. Once he finishes his training, every order Ryo gets comes from Takki.

There are some who resent that. Some of the older boys like Subaru and Hina don't like that Takki is the only one in contact with their masters. Toma tells Ryo, in a conspiratorial tone, that Subaru and Takki used to be the best of friends, but these days, the only person Takki seems friendly with is Tsubasa. Ryo doesn't care; Takki knows much more than he does and he has no reason to question the orders he passes on. He's just excited for the chance to apply his training to real missions, fighting fights that matter instead of trying to take down trainers he could never defeat.

The missions start off small: escorting some important man who probably isn't in any real danger, delivering a message to a town only a day's travel a way, standing lookout while Subaru steals some magical totem. He knows not every mission is like that—he's seen some of the boys come back with injuries, their eyes dark—and even if he's a little scared of what might happen, he's impatient to do more.

"I wonder when we'll really get to fight," says Yasu, who finished his training just after Ryo and has been doing the same kind of simple missions.

"Are you that eager to get out and kill people?" It sounds like Toma's teasing, but Ryo's not sure.

Yasu backtracks quickly. "No, of course not! I just want to see what I can do."

"It'll happen soon enough," Yamapi comments, his tone neutral, as it usually is.

Ryo feels guilty without knowing exactly why, but it doesn't change his feelings; he can't wait to get out there and test himself on some real missions.

 

“He was careless,” Takki says, his voice hard. He doesn’t say that Koki deserved what he got, but the implication is strong in his tone and in the unforgiving look in his eyes. “Take care of it, Toma.” He turns and walks away and doesn’t look back. Tsubasa exchanges a look with Toma that Ryo doesn’t understand before going after him.

“He’s not a bad guy, Takki,” Toma says as he begins collecting Koki’s weapons, his tone almost conversational. “He’s just been through too much to let himself be soft anymore.”

“But the others aren’t all like that,” Ryo points out. Some of the older boys have been nice to him, more understanding of his mistakes. “Are they?”

Toma pauses for a moment, considering. “I think the more you care in the first place, the colder you get once you get hurt too many times.” His serious expression breaks into a smile and he laughs, but without humor. “Or something like that. What do I know?”

Ryo watches Toma collect Koki’s daggers with sure hands and thinks that he probably knows a lot more than he lets on.

“You okay?” Toma asks after a moment. “The first time is always hard.”

Ryo shrugs. “I barely knew him.” He’s not upset, really. He doesn’t feel much of anything right now. It’s too much to understand so quickly.

“Yeah, I guess not. But it could be any one of us, you know?” Ryo flinches and Toma makes a face, but he doesn’t take it back. “I hate to say it, but it’s true. I try not to think about it, but it’s something you’ve got to understand.”

“I do understand,” Ryo says. He’s been in battle, after all. He knows the risks.

Suddenly, so fast Ryo is barely aware he’s moving, Toma is next to him, holding one of Koki’s daggers to his throat. “Do you?” he asks. His voice is no longer friendly, and even though he knows it’s probably not real, Ryo is terrified. “You never know when you’ll be in danger.”

Ryo holds his breath, not knowing what to say and afraid to move. He didn’t understand anything at all, he realizes.

Abruptly, Toma relaxes and drops his hand. “Now maybe you understand a little bit,” he says, “why Takki’s the way he is. And why you have to realize that you’re never really safe.”

Ryo lets his breath out in a shaky gasp and Toma gives him an embarrassed smile. “Sorry about that. I got a bit carried away.”

Ryo shakes his head mutely. His heart is still racing, adrenaline telling him he just came frighteningly close to death. He clenches his hand around the dagger on his belt, taking comfort in the cold, hard metal. He reminds himself that he’s not entirely helpless in the face of death.

 

Ryo gets stronger. If there's one thing he's learned since he started going on serious missions, it's that he has a long way to go. If he doesn't train harder, he'll die, and that's all there is to it. It's a hard lesson for a proud young boy to learn, but an important one.

"Back already?" says Yara when Ryo and Yasu make their way to the training fields for the third time that day. Yara's no leader, but he's almost as experienced as Takki, and more willing to share that expertise.

"I'm going on a mission in a few days," Ryo says. "I need to be ready." He'll be accompanied by Nino, another senpai, but no one else this time. Nino is powerful and sharp-tongued and Ryo doesn't want to embarrass himself in front of him.

"Very well," Yara says, and attacks without warning.

Ryo doesn't dodge fast enough and the dagger just barely draws blood, but he avoids the next one, and when he puts his newly-acquired control of fire to good use, it's Yara who has to dodge. Ryo's blood hums and right now, like this, he can believe that he was born for this.

 

The attack comes out of nowhere. Ryo's sleeping while Nino keeps watch, and he's awakened by a shout. Training kicks in and he's on his feet and ready to fight before he's even fully awake. He can't tell how many enemies there are, but they're clearly outnumbered, and there's no time to waste wondering what's going on. He turns, kicks, stabs, throws, and is rewarded with cries of pain and other people's blood on his hands.

But just as he's starting to feel confident, there's a sudden sharp pain in his right arm. He looks down to see a kunai lodged just above his elbow. Without thinking, he pulls it out, and fresh pain washes over him as it starts to bleed. He stares at the wound, half-dazed. He's not unused to pain by now, but this is the worst injury he's ever had.

"Don't just stand there!" Nino snaps.

His voice pulls Ryo back to the present just in time to dodge a kick at his stomach. The movement hurts, but the accompanying surge of adrenaline helps him ignore it. His injured arm will be the least of his worries if he doesn't fight back.

He barely even registers anything after that until the fighting draws to a close with a triumphant shout from Nino. He drops to his knees on the ground, fighting to catch his breath. It's not surprising that there's blood on his hands, but he realizes belatedly that some of it is his own, dripping down his injured arm. He stares at it again, feeling strangely detached. It hardly even hurts anymore.

"What are you doing?" Nino's voice is sharp, cutting through the fog in Ryo's mind. He limps over, muttering curses at his own body, and kneels next to Ryo. "I'm not about to carry you back if you pass out from blood loss," he grumbles, bandaging Ryo's arm with steady hands. Ryo hisses in pain as the bandage is pulled tight, but he knows it's necessary.

"Are you dizzy?" Nino asks brusquely. "Lie down for a bit. We'll have to get moving soon. Who knows what kind of attention that fight got us?" He covers up a gash on his leg as he speaks, then wraps another bandage around his left wrist.

Ryo realizes he is light-headed and obediently lies down. "What about the mission?" he asks.

"Scrapped," Nino says shortly. "If they sent this many people after us, it's obviously more complicated than we thought, and too much for two injured people."

Ryo's half disappointed and half impressed. Though he knows he's good, Nino's got no ego about this kind of thing. He has no problem admitting that this is too much for them. While Ryo would've liked to pull this off despite the complications and return triumphant, he knows this is the wiser choice.

"Come on," Nino says, offering his good hand to help Ryo up. "Let's go home."

 

When a team heads off to complete the mission he and Nino abandoned, Ryo has to stay behind, waiting for his arm to recover. It's not a life-threatening injury, but he's no good to anyone with a useless throwing arm. It's frustrating, but there's nothing to be done for it.

“I’ll bring you back a souvenir,” Toma jokes. “Maybe a severed arm to replace yours.” Ryo laughs despite his bad mood, and they all head off smiling.

They’re not smiling when they come back. Takki’s got that murderous look in his eyes that means something very bad has happened, only slightly obscured by the bandage across his forehead. The others are limping and bandaged too, and Yara is carrying something over his back, something that looks worryingly like a body.

Next to Ryo, Yasu gasps audibly. “What happened?”

Tsubasa just shakes his head. Nobody wants to answer, but a quick head count makes it clear that someone is indeed missing.

"Toma," Yamapi whispers. It's not a question. They've all realized by now who it is that's missing from the group. Ryo reaches out and squeezes Yamapi's hand, as much to take comfort as to offer it.

He can't believe it. It's not the first time someone has died, either in front of him or off on a separate mission. But it's Toma, who was his first friend here, and who was always so full of energy and life. It seems impossible that he could die so easily.

"He died well," Yara says as he sets the body down. His voice is tinged with regret, but his face is impassive. He's too much of a veteran to let this get to him.

"There's no such thing!" Ryo wants to yell. Even the most noble and heroic death is still a death. No matter how it happened, Toma is still dead. But he's not a rookie anymore, a child who puts his feelings on display. Toma was one of the people who taught him that, and it would be an insult to his memory to act out now. He clenches his hands into fists so tight his nails dig into his skin, but he doesn't say a word.

Yasu cries, not even trying to hide it. He's strong in many ways, but he's never been one to hide his emotions. Ryo does too, but later, in the dark. If Yamapi cries, he never sees it.

 

It’s Subaru who first brings it up. “Do you ever wonder if we’re really working for the good guys?” he asks. It’s a casual question, just making conversation during downtime, and nobody would make anything of it if Takki didn’t happen to overhear.

“Don’t say things like that,” he snaps, unexpectedly harsh.

“Why not?” Subaru has a contrary streak a mile wide, so he’s only more likely to press the issue now. “None of us really know the big picture. How do we know we’re not playing into some evil guy’s master plan?” He’s holding back a smirk, still joking, but Takki’s not.

“If you were, do you think he would let you get away with saying things like this?” It sounds like it should be a joke, but Takki’s voice is tight, as strained as if he were giving orders in the middle of a battle.

“Okay, okay.” Subaru holds up his hands in an “I surrender” gesture. “I was just kidding.”

Takki doesn’t answer, just turns on his heel and walks away. The rest of them exchange nervous glances and try to laugh, turning the conversation to safer subjects like how many creative ways Hiroki has found to injure himself on his current mission. No one’s really sure what happened, but Ryo wonders if maybe a line hasn’t been crossed that can’t be uncrossed.

 

Tsubasa comes to talk to Subaru later, although he wasn’t present for the initial conversation. He must have heard from Takki but he’s most likely speaking for himself now. Except on missions, Tsubasa doesn’t take orders from Takki.

“Be careful what you say, Subaru,” he says. “I know you think it’s funny, but some people take what we do very seriously.”

Subaru bristles at that. “I do take it seriously!”

“That’s not what I mean.” He pauses, weighing his words. “You’re a valuable asset, but don’t think that means you’re indispensable.” There’s not a trace of humor in Tsubasa’s expression.

Subaru’s eyes widen. It would be almost comical if Ryo wasn’t holding his breath, waiting to see what happens. “You mean...I’m right?”

“Don’t ask too many questions,” Tsubasa says, face completely unreadable. It’s not really an answer, but it’s more than enough.

 

If people continue talking about what happened, Ryo doesn’t hear it. Subaru gets sent out on a mission early the next morning, which can’t be a coincidence. Nino, ever the skeptic, mutters something about whether he’ll come back alive. Ryo tries not to think about it.

But Subaru doesn't come back in a few days like he's supposed to. One week passes and then another and another, and now it's not just Nino who's suspicious. "Should we send someone after him?" Hina asks. Ever-optimistic Hina is probably one of the only people who doesn't think Subaru's dead by now.

"We can't spare anyone," Takki says. He's as unreadable as ever, but it's not hard to guess that that's an evasion. Subaru is—or at least once was—his friend, and he's still a comrade. Surely if he thought there was a chance they could save Subaru without endangering everyone else, he would take it, unless he had a good reason not to. Nobody questions it, wary now after what happened to Subaru, but Ryo's sure most of them must be thinking what he is now, that perhaps they can't trust their leader the way they used to, and that for sure there is more going on here than any of them have been told.

 

It doesn't change anything, even if it probably should. Nobody runs away or refuses any missions. Nobody asks more of the questions Subaru did, whether it's denial or fear that makes them avoid the subject. The only thing that's different is that Subaru's gone, and he's hardly the first person they've lost. And maybe it's only in Ryo's mind, but he thinks there's an undercurrent of tension to everything now, a sign that things may be normal now, but it's only a matter of time before that façade of normality cracks.

 

The day Subaru comes back is an innocuously bright, sunny day. Yasu is on lookout, and when he sees Subaru, he's so shocked he actually shrieks. Everyone who hears him comes running, and they're all just as shocked. It's been so long that they all assumed he was dead and gone forever. It hardly seems real, him coming back.

But once the initial excitement wears off, it's easy to see that Subaru isn't well. He's stick thin, even more so than usual, and his hair, usually pulled back out of the way, hangs raggedly over his face. When he looks up, his eyes are glassy and blank, with none of his usual intensity. He's back, but there's something very wrong with him.

Hina puts a hand on his shoulder and Ryo half expects him to flinch, but instead he stands stock still, not even seeming to notice the touch. "Subaru?" Hina asks. "What happened?"

"I was captured," Subaru says. His voice sounds hoarse, as though he hasn't spoken in forever, or else like he screamed so much he lost it. "But I escaped." He doesn't elaborate, and everyone is either too kind or too scared to press him for more.

"Get some rest," Hina says, steering him away from the curious crowd. "You'll feel better tomorrow." He doesn't sound at all convincing, and Ryo can't blame him. Whatever's wrong with Subaru, it's clearly not something that a little rest will take care of.

"Is it because of what he said?" Yasu asks quietly as the group begins to disperse. He's got more tact than Subaru. He knows to be careful who he says these things to. "Did someone want to shut him up?"

"Then why would they let him come back?" Ryo asks. Can it be just an unlucky coincidence, Subaru getting captured on this particular mission? It's hard to believe.

"I don't know." Yasu frowns deeply. "Do you think...do you think he'll be okay?"

Yasu looks small and frightened and Ryo wants to tell him that everything will be fine, but he can't lie. "I don't know," he says.

 

They don't hear Subaru's story until a few days later, and even then it's indirectly, through Hina. "He was...tortured, pretty much," Hina says. He doesn't go into more detail, but from the hard, angry look on his face, it must have been bad. Of course it must have been, for Subaru to look the way he did when he came back. Hina hesitates, looking uncharacteristically uncertain, then adds, "He said he recognized the guy who did it. One of the people who trained him."

A doubtful murmur runs through the listeners. Ryo doesn't know what to think. They've all had suspicions since Subaru first raised the possibility that the orders they'd been obeying shouldn't be trusted, but they mostly brushed them off. If Subaru's telling the truth, the people they're working for are far more dangerous than any of them had suspected.

"Is he sure?" Yara asks. "If he was tortured, there's no telling how reliable his memory is."

Hina shakes his head. "He's not in good shape, but he's not crazy. Besides, don't you think it would be an awfully big coincidence for him to get caught by somebody else right after he started asking questions?"

Everyone's whispering among themselves, trying to figure things out. "If he's right," Yamapi asks, "then don't we have to do something?" It's a quiet question, probably not intended for everyone to hear, but somehow it cuts through the babble.

There's a long silence. No one wants to make a target of themselves by saying yes or sound like a coward if they say no. Finally, Nino says, "We have to." There's no arguing with his tone, not when everyone else was probably thinking the same thing and just afraid to say it. Even if it's dangerous and frightening, they can't just go on killing for people they can't trust. If nothing else, they owe it to Subaru after what he's suffered to not just forget about it.

"What are you going to do?" Everyone jumps at Tsubasa's voice. Ryo curses inwardly. If Tsubasa is like Takki, in league with the people who control them, they've all just doomed themselves. But then he smiles, a sharp smile with no humor in it. "Relax. I'm on your side."

"Are you?" Yara's known Tsubasa long enough that he doesn't hesitate to question him. "We saw what you said to Subaru before."

If Tsubasa is lying, it's impossible to tell. "I don't know much," he says. "Only that the people who recruited and trained us are not people you want to question. I was trying to help Subaru."

"But you didn't." Ryo's surprised; it's not like Hina to be so harsh.

"No," Tsubasa agrees. "That's why I'm here. They've gone too far."

There's silence again until Yara speaks up. "We need Takki." Everyone turns to look at him in surprise. Takki's the one person they absolutely can't trust right now. "We don't know anything," he explains. "We can't do anything without more information, and he's the only one who has it."

It's true, and they all know it. They can hardly fight back with nothing to go on but Subaru's vague story.

"I'll talk to him," Tsubasa says. He promises nothing, but that's all they can ask for. As he walks off, Ryo wonders if something good will come from this or if this might be the end for all of them.

 

The next day, Ryo sees Takki approach Hina. He can't make out what they're talking about, but it's not hard to guess. From the way Hina doesn't wind up on the ground with his throat slit, he can guess what Takki's answer is.

The plan comes together slowly, in hushed exchanges and whispered conversations between small groups. Nobody knows if they're being watched or not, but one of the first things they learned in training was that it's always better to take precautions.

Ryo doesn't know what makes Takki agree. He doesn't know if it was hard to win him over or if, like Tsubasa, he already felt that what they'd done to Subaru was too much. He doesn't even know whether Takki fully cooperated with the people who gave their orders or if he was just a pawn. All he knows is that when they meet the next day, Takki is there with them as though there's nothing unusual about it, as though he's just relaying orders the way he always does.

"I think you all know by now what's going on, or at least you've guessed," he says, voice soft but authoritative. "You were all brought here by men who told you that you were important, special—that the world needed you. Maybe they weren't lying; I don't know. But they were lying that this is what you were meant for. We're not saving the world."

Everyone listens, quiet and serious. They've all guessed as much by now, but hearing it confirmed is hard. Most of them have been here for years. They've been injured and seen their friends die. It's not easy to accept deaths even in the service of some greater good, but to learn that it wasn't even for that is a lot to take.

"We're not destroying the world either," Takki continues. "We're just following the orders of some self-serving men who needed someone to do their dirty work. It's as simple as that."

No one says a word. Ryo looks around at the others. Yamapi's face is blank, eyes shuttered. Yasu looks like he wants to hit someone. Nino's arms are crossed, his expression saying something like "I should have known". Ryo understands how all of them feel. He's angry that they've been deceived, and angry that he didn't realize it. He's sad and betrayed and trying to hold it back because it's too much to process at once. Now, when they've committed to bringing down the people who put them in this position, is not the time to get emotional.

"I did know," Takki says. There's no special emphasis, though he must know this is important. "I have for a while. If you want to be angry at me, I'll understand, but be angry later. Right now, all that matters is that I'm on your side, and we have work to do.

"I know most of you want to bring down the people who have used you to further their selfish goals. If nothing else, you want to hurt them for hurting your friends. But if you don't, no one will force you. Walk away now and tonight you're free to go where you want to go. Just don't stop us. You know this is the right thing to do."

Nobody has anything to say to that. Takki waits a moment for the words to sink in, then starts to outline their plan. It's simple enough: they'll strike at the compound where their masters are, killing whoever gets in their way, and burn the place to the ground. Takki admits he doesn't know the details, but he knows there's some magic in the place, not to mention a great deal of valuable information. Destroying the compound may not put the men who have controlled them until now out of business forever, but if they strike hard and fast, it should be enough to set them back a great deal. It will be enough for all of them to get away from this and start over.

There's a lot of talking when Takki finishes: people trying to psych themselves up with boasting, others discussing the details of their assignments, even some getting ahead of themselves and talking about what they'll do after. It's not all that different from before any other mission, but there's a current in the air, a tension that they all feel reminding them that this is not any other mission. This may very well be, one way or another, their last mission.

"Wait." Subaru's voice easily cuts through any other noise. He's standing at the edge of the crowd, looking small and frail, but determined. "You're not going without me."

"Subaru," Hina objects, "You're not—"

"I need to go." There is no room for argument in Subaru's tone. He meets Takki's eyes with a hard stare. For a moment, they just look at each other while everyone else holds their breath.

Then Takki gives a curt nod. "That's it, then," he says. "Tonight at dusk, be ready. We live or die tonight." He looks around, as though assessing the troops. Ryo wonders if he looks as nervous as he feels, but Takki simply nods again and says, "Dismissed."

"Do you think we'll win?" Yasu asks as they walk away. He's a few steps behind Ryo, glancing back at where Hina is fussing over Subaru. "Do you think we _can_ win?"

Ryo considers the question. He has no idea what they'll be facing tonight. He has no idea if any of them will see tomorrow morning. "It's like Takki said," he tells Yasu. "We live or die tonight. Either we win or we'll be dead, and then we won't care." He tries to laugh, but it sounds awkward and forced.

Still, Yasu smiles. "I guess you're right." He slings his arm around Ryo's shoulders and cheerfully says, "Let's not die, okay?"

Ryo laughs again, but this time he means it. "Okay," he agrees.

 

Ryo's teamed up with Nino and Tsubasa. They're both much more experienced than him, so he lets them take the lead. Their role is ostensibly simple anyway: kill anyone who gets in their way as they clear a path to the center of the compound. If they get there, kill the boss who is likely to be waiting there. (Ryo doesn't say so, but he hopes they don't get there first. He's never even met their boss, but he can't imagine fighting someone strong enough to control so many tough and strong-willed young people.)

It starts off well. Tsubasa has been at this for many years, and Nino almost as long. Ryo doesn't have quite the same experience, but he's got enough, and enough talent. The guards at the outer doors fall easily before them, and those inside too. Maybe this isn't as impossible as it seems, Ryo thinks.

But it gets worse. Waiting for them in the next hallway is a man Ryo recognizes, someone who helped train him. Nino is in the lead, and he must recognize him too from the way he pauses in his headlong sprint. "If you think you can beat me," the man says, "come and try." Even without seeing his face, Ryo can see Nino's hesitation in the tension in his body, but then he darts forward as though his hesitation is forgotten. Ryo doesn't question it, though he's very scared, just runs after his senpai.

This man is not as easily defeated as the guards before him, not by a long shot. Nino cries out as they meet, thrown back and falling against the wall like a sack of potatoes. Tsubasa runs past him, throwing a dagger and hitting the man square in the chest. It doesn't stop him, but it slows him down a little. Ryo is right behind him, and he summons a jet of fire, drawing it to the dagger so it strikes the man right where he's most vulnerable. He falls to his knees, and it's enough for Tsubasa to reach him and slit his throat before he can recover.

Once their opponent is down, Ryo runs over to Nino, who's still slumped against the wall. "Nino?" he asks, shaking his shoulder.

"Go," Nino mumbles. He doesn't open his eyes, but he can't be _too_ hurt if he can still speak. "I'll be fine. There's no time to waste."

"What did he say?" Tsubasa calls.

"He says to keep going!" Ryo yells back, even though he's not sure about this.

Tsubasa, on the other hand, doesn't hesitate. "Let's go."

Ryo darts one last glance at Nino, who's gone still again, then runs after Tsubasa. After all, it's do or die now.

He doesn't recognize the next man in their way, but he seems to know Tsubasa. "Can you really kill me?" he asks, in a carefree tone, like he's not at all worried.

Tsubasa freezes, just for a second, but then he says, "I can," and attacks. Ryo follows him, and then everything is a blur of daggers and shuriken and jutsus Ryo's never seen before. He doesn't really know what's going on, doesn't know if he'll make it. All he can do is fight and wait to see how it comes out.

The fight ends as suddenly as it began, Tsubasa and their opponent both falling to the ground at the same time. Ryo doesn't understand until he sees the blood, flowing from both of them to form one pool on the floor. "Don't stop," Tsubasa says weakly. "It's not over yet."

Ryo stares at him for a moment, looking at the wound in his stomach that seems to be bleeding impossible amounts. "They'll need you," Tsubasa presses, a sense of urgency in his voice, and that snaps Ryo out of his trance.

"We won't lose," he says, with a confidence he doesn't really feel. He doesn't know why he says it, except that he knows the wound is serious. If Tsubasa doesn't make it...it has to be worth it. Tsubasa nods shortly, and Ryo runs on, because that's all he can do right now.

He expects another opponent, half expects to wind up incapacitated like Nino and Tsubasa, but the hallway is empty and he runs without interruption, runs and runs until finally he reaches a door and opens it on a huge room. At the center of it, sitting with his legs folded as though he's meditating, is a man. He's small and old and wrinkled and there's nothing about his physical appearance to suggest he's strong, but even Ryo, who's usually not sensitive to these things, can sense the power emanating from him. It's unlike anything he's ever felt before, far above his earlier opponents.

"There you are," the man says, his voice unremarkable. "I wondered if anyone would make it through."

Ryo hesitates. He knows he shouldn't, but it's hard to believe that this man, this thoroughly unremarkable man, is the one in charge, the one who got Toma killed and Subaru tortured and who knows what else. He doesn't look like he could hurt anyone, let alone control his own private ninja army.

Then he hears a voice behind him. "That's him. Don't let him fool you." It's Takki, and if he says so, this must be their boss. That much Ryo can believe from him.

Takki doesn't wait for Ryo to react, throwing several shuriken. The man doesn't try to dodge and Ryo thinks he'll be hit, but suddenly the weapons reverse direction. Ryo dodges automatically as they go past him. By the time he's up again, Takki is attacking, so he follows. Once he starts to move, the man is dizzyingly fast, and Ryo can barely keep up. Something cuts at his chest, a weapon invisible or moving so fast he can't see it, and he stumbles, doubling over in pain.

There's a sudden blast of heat and Ryo looks up to see fire, a lot of fire, moving toward the center of the room. He's surprised; Takki's element is earth, and he's not doing it himself. Their opponent seems surprised too, enough that the fire almost reaches him before it abruptly disappears. Then Ryo understands as he sees Subaru fall to his knees on the other side of the room. It's impressive that he made it this far in his condition, but this man may be too much for him.

Ryo gets up, knowing there's no other choice, but there's another stab of pain in his legs and he collapses again. _I'm going to die_ , he thinks. This man's power is so far beyond him, beyond any of them. There's no way he's good enough. There's no way any of them are good enough when the people they're fighting are the very people who taught them everything they know. They were crazy to think otherwise.

There's another blast of fire from Subaru. It's almost immediately extinguished, but in that moment of distraction, Ryo hears the loud smack of a blow landing and a grunt of pain. He looks up to see Takki, bleeding from a cut on his forehead but not seeming to care, grab the man about his chest, pinning him in place. Somehow, unimaginably, it seems Takki is strong enough. His blade is at the man's throat. Any second, it'll be over. Ryo holds his breath, waiting. Why isn't Takki moving?

"I made you," he hears the man hiss. "All of you. Without me, you're nothing."

"Do it!" Subaru yells, struggling to his feet. For one impossibly long moment, Ryo is afraid Takki will back off and all of this will have been for nothing. What will happen to them if they fail now? But then Takki moves, lightning quick, and his target falls to the ground. "No," he says, so quietly Ryo can barely make out the words. "Without you, we can be anything."

He wipes his blade on the man's shirt, then gets to his feet, but he stays there, looking down at the body. Ryo suddenly becomes aware of their surroundings. He smells fire, and he can hear crashing like the building is falling down around them. "We have to get out," he yells. Takki still doesn't move, and Ryo is trying to decide what to do when Subaru darts forward, grabbing Takki's wrist above his knife and pulling him toward the doorway. Takki looks at him and then at Ryo, seemingly confused. "We have to go," Ryo says. "We have to run."

To his relief, Takki does. There are flames everywhere, but Ryo has a sense for fire and he leads them safely away from the flames and out into the cold night air. It's raining hard; they'll be safe from the fire out here.

They a find a group gathering a safe distance from the compound. Everyone should be out by now. If not, they'll be in trouble; the fire is growing despite the rain, consuming the buildings. Ryo breathes a sigh of relief when he catches sight of Nino, leaning heavily on Ohno but alive and safe.

"What happened?" Hina asks as the three of them join the group. He takes in their injuries but doesn't look shocked; there are others worse off than them. "Did you get him?"

Takki nods. He seems distracted, looking at the group, probably counting heads. Ryo watches him, waiting for the results. When they come, they're not what he would've hoped for. "Where's Tsubasa?" Takki asks. His voice is neutral, that calm leader voice they all know so well. He turns to Nino and then Ryo, and even if his expression is similarly neutral, it's clear he's worried.

Nino shakes his head. "I don't know. He and Ryo went on without me." He turns to Ryo too, along with everyone else.

Ryo swallows hard. He doesn't know, not for sure, but he saw the blood. "He was hurt," he says quietly. "Really hurt. He was alive when I left, but..." He doesn't need to finish. The fire is consuming the entire compound now and if Tsubasa didn't make it out yet, he's not going to.

Takki's expression goes cold. Nothing about it shows that he's hurt, but they all know. They all know Tsubasa is—was the only real friend he had anymore. "Let's go," is all he says, voice tight but without emotion, and turns away. Everyone hesitates, wanting something more, and he must notice because he turns back to them. "We've got a lot of injuries to tend to. We'll talk later." With that, he starts to limp down the hill toward their home.

 

Anyone with healing powers or any medical training at all is put to work immediately. There are a lot of injuries to deal with, from minor cuts and bruises to life-threatening wounds. Ryo winds up treated by Yasu, who frowns when he examines the cuts on Ryo's chest and legs. "These are serious," he says. "I'm surprised you could even walk back like this."

Ryo shrugs, then regrets it as the movement sends a stab of pain through his chest. "Adrenaline, I guess." He thinks but doesn't say that he's not the worst off. Besides, they were trained to push through anything. Even if the people who trained them weren't what they thought, those lessons still stand.

Yasu puts his hands over Ryo's right thigh, which seems to be the worst of the injuries. He closes his eyes, and though there's no glow or anything to indicate that his powers are working, Ryo feels his pain subside. Yasu is about to move on to his other leg when they hear a commotion at the entrance to the med tent and stop to look.

It's Yara who's yelling, and as he moves a little further inside Ryo can see that he's dragging Takki by the arm. "Don't you dare run away now, after everything," he's saying. Ryo can't hear what he says after that, but he can see the way he pulls Takki over to a nearby bed. "Can you take care of him?" he asks Yasu. "He's hurt too."

"Of course. Give me a minute, Ryo-chan," Yasu says, immediately turning his attention to Takki. There's blood all over his face from the cut on his forehead, and when he reluctantly sinks down onto the bed, Ryo notices that his knee is twisted strangely.

"And don't let him leave," Yara orders, giving Takki a pointed look before moving off to talk to Hina.

Yasu doesn't say anything to that, but he plants himself squarely in front of Takki and places a hand over his forehead. "It was the right thing to do," he says, gently but without pity. "It had to be done."

Takki doesn't answer, but when Yasu moves his hand away, Ryo thinks his grim expression has relaxed the tiniest bit. That's one of Yasu's abilities, as much as being able to heal physical wounds. Besides, he's right; in spite of the cost (and looking around, Ryo can see that it's higher than one death), this was the only thing they could do, once they knew the truth.

Later, when most of the injuries have been treated as best they can and they're all trying to rest, Subaru comes over and sits on the bed next to Takki. Ryo is exhausted, but pain and the confusing buzz of this victory are keeping him awake, so he watches the two of them. Takki's face is blank, Subaru's twisted into an uncertain frown. "I'm sorry," Subaru says, so quietly Ryo can barely hear it. Then, "Thank you."

"You were right," Takki says, equally quiet. "You were always right."

Neither of them moves, or says anything else. Ryo doesn't understand at all, but he thinks, as he finally drifts off to sleep, that this is the start of things getting better. They've been through a lot, all of them, and it won't go away, but they've done what they can to make it right. All that remains is to decide what comes next.

 

**Epilogue**

The farm is progressing nicely. Not quickly—most of them are in no hurry to fill up their newfound free time with hard labor—but there's clear progress, the training fields giving way to vegetable gardens and, where Yasu gets his way, flowers. Planting doesn't give anything like the thrill of a death-defying mission, but Ryo thinks it's not so bad, now that he's gotten used to it.

Someone calls his name, and Ryo turns to see Yasu and Subaru across the field, walking back from the nearest village. Yasu is studying with the doctor there, learning to heal beyond what his powers allow him. Ryo's not sure what exactly Subaru does in the village; it often seems like he just goes to keep Yasu company on the walk.

"Want to head home?" Ryo asks Yamapi, who's weeding a few feet away.

"I'll catch up later," Yamapi says without looking up, intent on some particularly stubborn weed.

"Okay," Ryo says. "Don't miss dinner." They both laugh at that, knowing how unlikely it is. Ryo stands up and dusts his hands off, then goes to join the others. "How's it going?" he asks.

"Great!" Yasu's eyes are shining as he tells Ryo what he learned that day, and even if Ryo doesn't understand it, he's happy to see Yasu so excited. Subaru is too, it seems, smiling quietly to himself as they walk along.

They walk for a while until they see two people ahead of them, pushing a cart. "Oi!" Subaru calls, and they stop and look back.

"What do you want?" Nino calls back, mock angry. When they get closer, Ryo can see he's smiling. The cart he and Hina are pushing is nearly empty, only a few carrots and some stray leaves on it.

"We had good business today," Hina says, not waiting for Subaru's response.

"Hina bargained some old ladies into buying our yams for way more than they're worth," Nino teases, and Hina grins, not denying it.

Yasu looks a little upset, but Subaru just laughs. "I wouldn't expect anything less from him.

When they get back to camp, there's a delicious smell coming from the kitchen. Massu was never ruthless enough to be a good fighter, but he is a good cook. He has Takki and a few others tending to a big pot of soup and smaller pots of side dishes that Ryo can't wait to sample.

When they all sit around the table to eat, Ryo's aware, as always, that there aren't as many of them as there used to be. Some died and some have left, but many are still there. When Ryo looks around the table, he sees comrades, friends.

Subaru is laughing, his smile wide despite the scars on his face. Takki rolls his eyes, embarrassed, and though there's a hardness in his expression that will probably never go away, he's smiling too. Yasu leans close to Subaru and says something that makes him blush, and Nino and Yara burst out laughing while Hina smacks them both on the head. All around the table, people are talking and smiling like normal young men. It's still a little jarring to Ryo, even after all this time, but he's sure that this is how it should be.

"You know what I think, at times like this?" Yamapi asks quietly. Ryo turns to look at him and he gives a small smile that Ryo can't help returning even before he speaks. Yamapi looks out over the table as he finishes, "It's not so bad, being ordinary."


End file.
